New Saddle Creek CEO sees promise of growth in omnichannel services

Third-party logistics provider (3PL) Saddle Creek Logistics Services will focus on its expanding omnichannel services business to continue its strategic growth trend, according to the new CEO of the family-owned business.

Lakeland, Fla.-based Saddle Creek on Monday named Mark Cabrera as its new top executive, following a planned succession that saw the former chief operating officer replace nine-year top exec Cliff Otto. Before joining the company in 2001, Cabrera had previously held financial roles at Arthur Andersen LLP, GTE, National Insurance Services, and Reeves Steel Inc.

The company says Otto's tenure was marked by significant growth, geographic expansion, and a broadened portfolio of services. In new remarks, Cabrera says he plans to continue pushing for improvement in all three areas, despite rapidly shifting economic conditions in the logistics sector.

"Naturally, there have been dramatic changes in the industry since I joined Saddle Creek nearly two decades ago. Today, we're fortunate to have a relatively healthy economic outlook—slightly slower than last year's record logistics demand, but there's still plenty of opportunity," Cabrera said in an email.

To meet the new challenges and help clients "keep up with the ever-increasing velocity of logistics," Saddle Creek will refine its processes in the areas of strategic network configuration, sophisticated technologies, and effective transportation management, he said.

"The growth of e-commerce and omnichannel has had a marked impact on our industry - and will continue to be a driving force for the foreseeable future. Consumer expectations for faster and lower-cost service will undoubtedly intensify and continue to put pressure on companies to fine-tune their logistics operations for optimal performance," Cabrera said.

Saddle Creek is an asset-based provider of warehousing, omnichannel fulfillment, transportation, and packaging solutions with 44 locations nationwide and more than 20 million square feet of warehouse space.